Thinking about death

“Zorba the Greek” written by Nikos Kazantzakis is a story of a man leading a passionate and free life.

To a 90-year-old grandfather planting an almond tree who says he acts as if he would never die, Zorba replies that he acts with death in mind every moment.

I may act as if death never existed; live not to die; or think about death. What will be my perspective on life? If I never die, things would be so boring. Likewise, if the purpose of living life is not to die, it sounds too miserable. Life is infinite, and we all die someday. Here is my take on life. I would like to choose to think about death. Keep in mind that tomorrow is never promised and thus there is no need to spare your time to meet someone you dislike or handle the last thing you want to do. The thought that your life can be put to a sudden end truly frees you from everything else.

What Zorba asks us boils down to this: What life would you like to lead? Back in my 20s, when life felt as if it would be endless, I would feel desperate to become any person that I could be so I would not be burdened with too much freedom. I dedicated my whole 20s to trying hard to become something I dreamed of. At midlife - with more days lived than the ones to live – I came across the book "Zorba the Greek.”

Your life can end at any time. That makes this moment you are living by far the most important time and the people around you the most valuable ones to you. In other words, how you think about death at every moment prevents you from wasting your time and helps you live with no regrets. This also leads me to ask myself again if I live well and spend quality time with people I care about. Here is a lesson learned: It matters to love the life you are living and do your best at every single moment. More basically, it all starts with your awareness that life is infinite.